Despegar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of despegar — “to take off (a plane)” in English — is the form you need for what happens now, for habits and for general truths. This page gives you the full present conjugation table for despegar with all six persons, explains exactly how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it with real examples, and finishes with a quiz so you can test yourself. Despegar means to take off, for a plane leaving the ground, and also to unstick something that was stuck. The flight sense is the everyday one, and it is a spelling-change verb: g becomes gu before e. It is a spelling-change verb ( becomes u before e), but the present tense itself is regular — the spelling change shows up in the subjunctive and the preterite. To see it in a real sentence: Despego a las ocho de la mañana. — “I take off at eight in the morning.” Learn the six forms in the table below, and the present tense of despegar will be ready for everyday conversation.
Present tense conjugation table: despegar
Every person of despegar in the present tense. The gerund is despegando and the past participle is despegado.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | despego |
| tú | despegas |
| él/ella/Ud. | despega |
| nosotros/as | despegamos |
| vosotros/as | despegáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | despegan |
How the present indicative of despegar is formed
The present indicative of despegar is built from the stem plus the present indicative endings for -ar verbs. Take the infinitive, drop the -ar ending, and add the ending that matches the person. The table below shows the endings, and the full table above shows them attached to the stem.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | despego |
| tú | -as | despegas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | despega |
| nosotros/as | -amos | despegamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | despegáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | despegan |
Despegar is a spelling-change verb. In the present tense the forms are regular, so the table above follows the normal -ar endings. The spelling change appears when the ending starts with e: the present subjunctive is despegue and the preterite first person is despegué. The sound stays the same; only the spelling changes to keep it.
The gerund of despegar is despegando and the past participle is despegado. Both are regular for this verb, and the participle is the form you need for all the perfect tenses with haber.
When to use the present tense of despegar
The present tense is not one single use — it covers several situations, and despegar appears in all of them. The five uses below are the ones you will meet most often, each with an example that shows the verb in a natural sentence.
Routines and habits
Use the present for things you do regularly, every day or every week. The present is the tense of routine, and despegar fits naturally into daily life.
“Yo despego a las ocho de la mañana todos los días.” — “I take off at eight in the morning every day.”
General facts
Use the present for facts that are true in general, not just today. When you state how something is, the present is the tense to use.
“Él despega con veinte minutos de retraso.” — “He/she takes off twenty minutes late.”
What is happening right now
Use the present for what is happening at this moment. Spanish often uses the simple present where English uses the progressive, so despego can mean both “I take off” and “I am take offing”.
“Ahora mismo, yo despego hacia Barcelona sin escalas.” — “Right now, I take off to Barcelona non-stop.”
Fixed plans in the near future
Use the present for a plan that is already fixed, such as something arranged for tomorrow. Spanish uses the present for near-future plans much more freely than English does.
“Mañana, yo despego del suelo con el avión lleno.” — “Tomorrow, I will take off from the ground with the plane full.”
Questions and negatives
Use the present to ask about habits and to say what does not happen. The question and the negative use exactly the same forms as the statement.
“¿Tú despegas a las ocho de la mañana?” — “Do you take off at eight in the morning?”
The present tense vs the closest tenses
Present — habit or general fact vs Preterite — one finished occasion
The present describes a habit, a routine or a general fact — something that happens again and again or that is true in general. The preterite reports one finished occasion in the past. Use the present when the action repeats or is still true, and the preterite when you are telling what happened once, on a specific day.
- Present — habit or general fact: Despega con veinte minutos de retraso. — “He/she takes off twenty minutes late.”
- Preterite — one finished occasion: Despegó con veinte minutos de retraso. — the same idea, placed in the preterite.
Present — now vs Imperfect — a past habit or background
The present talks about now. The imperfect talks about the past as a background — a repeated habit, an ongoing situation, something that used to happen. If you can add “used to” in English, the imperfect is usually the right choice; if it is happening now or always, use the present.
- Present — now: Despegan hacia Barcelona sin escalas. — “They take off to Barcelona non-stop.”
- Imperfect — a past habit or background: Despegaban hacia Barcelona sin escalas. — the same idea, placed in the imperfect.
Present — now or a fixed plan vs Future — what will happen
The present describes what happens now, what you do regularly, or a plan that is already fixed. The future describes what will happen later — a promise, a prediction, a plan that is not yet under way. Spanish often uses the present for near-future plans, but the future is the form for a clear statement about tomorrow.
- Present — now or a fixed plan: Despegas del suelo con el avión lleno. — “You take off from the ground with the plane full.”
- Future — what will happen: Despegarás del suelo con el avión lleno. — the same idea, placed in the future.
Examples: despegar in the present tense
Seven sentences that show despegar in the present tense only, across all six persons. Read each one aloud, notice the ending, and check the translation.
- Yo despego a las ocho de la mañana. — “I take off at eight in the morning.”
- Tú despegas con veinte minutos de retraso. — “You take off twenty minutes late.”
- Él despega hacia Barcelona sin escalas. — “He takes off to Barcelona non-stop.”
- Nosotros despegamos del suelo con el avión lleno. — “We take off from the ground with the plane full.”
- Vosotros despegáis a las ocho de la mañana. — “You (plural) take off at eight in the morning.”
- Ellos despegan con veinte minutos de retraso. — “They take off twenty minutes late.”
- ¿Tú despegas hacia Barcelona sin escalas? — “Do you take off to Barcelona non-stop?”
Common mistakes with despegar in the present tense
These are the errors learners actually make with despegar in the present tense. Each one shows the wrong form, the right form, and why the right form is right.
✗ Yo despegar a las ocho de la mañana. (using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form).
✓ Correct: Yo despego a las ocho de la mañana.
The infinitive is not a conjugated form. With yo, the present tense of despegar is despego, not the infinitive despegar.
✗ Vosotros despegais a las ocho de la mañana. (forgetting the accent on the vosotros form).
✓ Correct: Vosotros despegáis a las ocho de la mañana.
The vosotros present form carries a written accent: despegáis, not despegais. The accent marks the stressed vowel, and leaving it out is a spelling mistake.
✗ Ayer, yo despego con veinte minutos de retraso. (using the present for a finished past action).
✓ Correct: Ayer, yo despegué con veinte minutos de retraso.
The present and the preterite are different tenses: despego is happening now, while despegué is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
✗ Treating despegar and aterrizar as identical in every context. (confusing despegar with aterrizar).
✓ Correct: Despegar means to take off (a plane), while aterrizar means to land.
They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: despegar fits sentences such as Despego a las ocho de la mañana, while aterrizar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Quiz: despegar in the present tense
Eight questions on the present tense of despegar. Choose the best answer for each one, then check the answer key below — every answer is explained.
1. Which is the correct present tense form of despegar for tú?
- a) despegas
- b) despego
- c) despega
- d) despegan
2. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ a las ocho de la mañana. — “I take off at eight in the morning.”
- a) despega
- b) despegamos
- c) despegas
- d) despego
3. Complete the sentence: Él ______ con veinte minutos de retraso. — “He/she takes off twenty minutes late.” (present tense)
- a) despegaba
- b) despegará
- c) despega
- d) despegó
4. Which is the correct present tense form of despegar for nosotros?
- a) despegan
- b) despegamos
- c) despego
- d) despega
5. Which sentence uses despegar correctly in the present tense?
- a) Él despegó con veinte minutos de retraso.
- b) Él despega con veinte minutos de retraso.
- c) Él despegará con veinte minutos de retraso.
- d) Ellos despega con veinte minutos de retraso.
6. Complete the sentence: Ellos ______ hacia Barcelona sin escalas. — “They take off to Barcelona non-stop.”
- a) despego
- b) despega
- c) despegamos
- d) despegan
7. Complete the question: ¿Tú ______ del suelo con el avión lleno? — “Do you take off from the ground with the plane full?”
- a) despega
- b) despegarás
- c) despegas
- d) despego
8. What is the gerund of despegar?
- a) despegué
- b) despegando
- c) despegado
- d) despego
Answer key
a) despegas — The tú form is despegas. The -s ending belongs to tú in the present; despego is yo, despega is él/ella and despegan is ellos/ellas.
d) despego — The sentence needs the yo form in the present: despego. The other options are the wrong person.
c) despega — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the present: despega. The other options are the preterite, the imperfect and the future.
b) despegamos — Nosotros takes despegamos. In the present the nosotros ending for -ar verbs is -amos, attached to the stem.
b) Él despega con veinte minutos de retraso. — Él despega con veinte minutos de retraso. is correct: the verb agrees with its subject. The other sentences use the wrong person or the wrong tense.
d) despegan — The subject is ellos/ellas/Uds., so the present form is despegan.
c) despegas — The question needs the tú form in the present: despegas.
b) despegando — The gerund is despegando. It is the form you use with estar for the progressive (estar + gerund), and it is not the past participle despegado.
Frequently asked questions
Is despegar regular in the present tense?
Yes. Despegar is a regular -ar verb in the present tense, so the forms follow the standard endings: despego, despegas, despega, despegamos, despegáis and despegan.
What is the gerund and the past participle of despegar?
The gerund is despegando and the past participle is despegado. Use the gerund with estar for the progressive, and the participle with haber for the perfect tenses.
How do you say “I take off” in Spanish?
Say despego. For example: Despego a las ocho de la mañana. — “I take off at eight in the morning.”
What is the difference between despegar and aterrizar?
Despegar means “to take off (a plane)”, while aterrizar means “to land”. They are related words that learners often meet together, but they are not interchangeable — use despegar when you mean “to take off (a plane)” and aterrizar when you mean “to land”. The full conjugation of despegar is on its own page.
Related links
- Full conjugation of despegar — every tense and mood, with the complete tables.
- despegar examples and quiz — more sentences, dialogues and a longer quiz.
- Spanish Present tense guide — how the present tense works for all Spanish verbs.
- Spanish verbs — the full list of Spanish verbs on VerbFlow.
- Complete list of Spanish irregular verbs — where this verb's pattern is listed.
- Aterrizar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with despegar.
- Zarpar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with despegar.
- Atracar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with despegar.
- Present Tense Conjugator — practise this verb in the interactive tool.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on Spanish verbs.